Patent GB-864865-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to railway signaling systems
IPC: B61L7/08
Filed: 1957-12-05
Abstract: 864,865. Centralized traffic control systems. GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL CO. Dec. 5, 1957 [Dec. 24, 1956], No. 37871/57. Class 105. In a railway traffic control system routes through a track lay-out between two locations appropriate to different classes of trains are selectable and set automatically by the operation of a succession of points and, may be, signals, in dependence upon a stored indication of the class of an approaching train and if two trains are approaching the layout they are routed along different routes in dependence upon their class relationship. The points and, may be, signals along a route are automatically operated successively, as the train approaches following the portion of the route already set. As a train advances through track-circuited sections the train description is advanced from one indication storage means to another. Thus a description introduced into a storage unit as a train enters a block can be advanced by the train to a storage unit at a siding end location, and can be used to initiate controls for routing the train through either the main track or the passing siding. A comparison between concurrentlystored descriptions at both ends of a siding for opposing trains is made and the superior description determines which train will be routed into the siding. In the case of equality of class, one train is decided to be superior on a directional basis. Means are provided for initiating codes representing the train descriptions stored in the indicators and these codes are utilized to control the switches and signals. The embodiment of the invention to be described is arranged to operate in accordance with an arbitrary premise that any train, whatever its classification, will be normally routed straight through the stretch of track rather than via the sidings. Under automatic operating conditions a train will be routed through the passing siding when a concurrently present opposing train of a superior classification is detected. Assuming that a train is detected approaching the passing siding area Fig. 1, from the left, via the approach track section 1AT, such detection being given the central control office operator by means such as a track occupancy indication light (not shown) on the control panel, Fig. 2. The operator is aware of the identification of the train as by a number, and the type of the train as by its classification either by reference to a train sheet or from information received from the last control office passed by the train, or from the description of the train displayed by an indicator at the preceding siding location. The operator then operates the appropriate train description button of the series S(2-28), Fig. 2 (for superior classification trains), or 1(2-28), Fig. 2, even numbers (for inferior classification trains), for trains moving to the left and odd numbers S (1-27) or 1(1-27) for trains moving to the right. On depression of a train description button code relays CR1-CR6, Fig. 3A, are selectively energized together with a transfer relay CTN, which remains picked up only while a button is depressed, and over its front contact 83 maintains the selected code relays operated. At f.c. 70 CTN (front contact 70 of relay CTN) (BX) energy is connected to the front contacts 71-76 of the selected relays CR1-CR6, to connect such energy to contacts 1-6 in indicator IAN, Fig. 3B, through contacts such as 77 of relay IATN and wires such as 78. The indicator is of the type described and claimed in Specification 805,349, and operates until its front contacts 1-6 are closed in the same combination as that assumed by the selected front contacts 71-76 of the code relays, when the motor ceases to operate and the latching relay LR releases to lock the indicator mechanism in place, the indicator then displaying the same number as that of the operated train description button, which button is now released, de-energizing relay CTN, followed by all the relays CR1-CR6, at the opening of its contact 83, and at its front contact 70 removes (BX) energy from the indicator 1AN. Superior descriptions call for front contact 6 of indicator 1AN to be closed and inferior descriptions for the back contact 6 to be closed, which are unnecessary for a single train in the area, since this would then be routed straight through the stretch of track. When the train occupies section 1T, track indication magnetic stick type relay 1TK, controlled by the code indication communication system, as described, e.g. in U.S.A. Specification 2,399,754, is picked up and remains so until knocked down by later indication codes when track 1T is vacated. At b.c. 112-1TK (back contact 112 of relay 1TK) normally energized relay 1ATN is released and at front contacts such as 77 of relay 1ATN the circuits connecting the code relays CR1-CR6 to the indicator 1AN are opened and at f.c. 82- 1ATN the energizing circuit of the motor of indicator 1AN is interrupted. At f.c. 112- 1TK transfer relay 1TN is picked up and at contacts such as f.c. 86-1TN circuits are closed connecting contacts 1-6 in indicator 1AN to contacts 1-6 in indicator IN, (BX) energy (read-out energy) being applied at b.c. 87- 1ATN to operate the motor M and latching relay LR in indicator 1N which indicator operates to tally with the indication in indicator 1AN. At f.c. 32-1ATN the circuit of the motor of indicator 1AN is interrupted to prevent erroneous operation thereof during the read-out to indicator 1N. At f.c. 216-1TN either one or other of the code communication control relay 1-2C or 1-3C depending on whether the train is to be routed via track section 2T or 3T. For the single train the route is via section 2T and relay 1-2C is picked up over b.c. 215-1WS, f.c. 216- 1TN, b.c. 217-7DTK, wire 218, b.c. 219-2TK, wire 220 to ( - ) via a back contact of a superior classification detection relay (not shown) for the direction from right to left similar to the superior classification detection relay 1DC, Fig. 3C, for traffic from left to right. The picking up of relay 1-2C activates the code communication apparatus by front contacts, not shown, which select code characters to be transmitted calling for the normal (straight through) position of the points 7W, Fig. 1, and for the clearing of the signal 6R. When such controls have been effected, indication codes are transmitted to the control office effecting operation of the points indication relay 7NWK, Fig. 3e, closing front contacts such as 91, indicating the points are in normal position, and a signal indication relay, not shown, for signal 6R. As the train advances through section 7DT into section 2T, Fig. 1, indication codes are transmitted to the control office for operating relays 7DTK, Fig. 3B, and 2TK, Fig. 3C, to indicate occupancy of these sections. At f.c. 163-2TK, directional stick relay 2ES is energized over f.c. 164-1-2D, this relay 1-2D being operated over f.c. 160-1TK, by the picking up of relay 1TK. A stick circuit for relay 2ES is over its own front contact 165 and f.c. 163-2TK. At b.c. 162-2TK relay 1-2D is de-energized and at b.c. 217-7DTK relay 1-2C is de-energized. Relay 1-2D however is slow-acting to enable relay 2ES to pick up before front contact 163- 1-2D is opened. Relay 1-2C is also slow-acting to enable read-out relay 1RO to pick-up over f.c. 136-1-2C and this relay sticks over f.c. 140-1RO and f.c. 141-1TK. At f.c. 116- 1RO transfer relay 2TN is picked up and sticks over f.c. 121-2TN and at front contacts such as 90-2TN apply read-out energy (BX) over f.c. 94-1RO so that the indicator 2N is operated to the same position as that assumed by indicator 1N and displays its indication in the indicator 2N on the control panel, Fig. 2 and stores the train description for the train as this latter is detected, entering track section 2T. The energization of relay 2ES establishes that the movement of the train is from section 2T over points 9W to section 4T, and causes activation of the code communication system to transmit codes to field station 8, Fig. 1, to set the points 9W in the normal position and to clear the signal 8RA. Relay 2RO is operated in a manner similar to relay 1RO to effect the transfer and storage of the train indications from indicator 2N to indicator 4N (not shown). When the train vacates sections 1T and 7DT and section 2T only is occupied, indication codes are sent to the control office resulting in the dropping away of relays 1TK and 7DTK. At f.c. 141-1TK relay 1RO is de-energized and at b.c. 112-1TK relay 1ATN is picked up and at f.c. 162-1TK relay 1TN is released. At such contacts as f.c. 86-1TN the connecting circuits between indicators 1AN and 1N are opened. At f.c. 94-1RO read-out energy (BX) is removed from indicator 1N and at f.c. 116-1RO relay 2TN is dropped away to disconnect indicator 1N from indicator 2N at contacts such as f.c. 90-2TN. In a similar manner, when the train accepts signal 8RA, Fig. 1, and moves into sections 9DT and 4T the connections between indicators 2N and 4N, Fig. 2 (not shown in Fig. 3), are closed, and the latter indicator is operated to the same position as indicator 2N, but connection between indicators 4N and 4AN, Fig. 2, is prevented. When the train leaves section 4T the apparatus is returned to normal. Similarly, for a train moving from right to left the train descriptions would be read into successive indicators 4N, 2N and 1N as the train progressed. Assuming now that two opposing trains are approaching at the same time and that a superior description is stored in indicator 4AN for the train travelling from right to left and the other train has an inferior description and further assuming that the trains enter approach sections 1T and 4T respectively at approximately the same time, a superior classification detection relay 4DC (not shown) functioning similarly to relay 1DC, Fig. 3C, is operated to render the code selecting relays 1-2C inoperative and relay 1-3C operative